Moistening device



April 30, 1946. w, L. SNELLING MOISTENING DEVICE Filed July 8, 1944 f f w f7 lri/ l1. 1-,.

Patented Apr. 30, 1946 unfrei) STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

' The 'present .device relates to ia moistenng devi'ce of the type in "which is Ycomprised a yieldable absorbent body supported Withinaholder that is releasably Iitted within a l:container wherein is placed a 'quantity of liquid for feeding `into the absorbent body to maintain it in aconstantly wet condition for transfer of moisture'from its yexpod upper end to objects brought tinto :contact therewith'. `Such a device will be :found advantageous .for use in oflices yand otherplaces rWhere objects, such as gummed paper, stamps, etc., require meisten-ing as an .incident to then-suse. The-moistening device or Vmyinvention comprises a tubular 'sleeve or holder for the :absorbent body, together with a container wherein the lsleeve holder is Areleasably mounted, the walls of the container being spaced from those'of the :holder `to fdene therewith an annular chamber providing -a reservoir fior the reception Vof liquid which over-a prolonged period will act -to maintain the `absorbent body in a wetconditi'on.

"The 'principal vobjects df my invention aire Ato provide a -moisteningdevice of the kind noted in which the sleeve :holder may "be readily and xedly secured in position Within .the container; "and be conveniently removable therefrom :if land Awhen access to the 'interior of the container-is 1desired; in which means are provided to Ireceive liquid that -is expressed from the absorbent body `and drain v'such expressed liquid .into a reservoir Within the container; lin which 'thesame "drainage Ameansfmay be used alsolto admit 'into the reservoir fresh vliquid 'that `may be vneeded yfrom 'time -to time for refill purposes; in which the sleeve 'holder and the container are formed as lseparate entities susceptible kof assembly and ydisassembly with a minimum ofeffort; 'and in twhi'chthe sleeve holder and the container may be `ioptionally produced from various 'materials 'suchas metal, plastic, ceramic, etc., according to whatever may be foundmost-desirable.

These and other objects oi' my invention will appear from the description to follow wherein reference is made to a suggestive embodiment of my invention as set forth in the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the moistening device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section therethrough, taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sleeve holder removed from the container.

.As shown, I have provided a container C having a raised bottom 5 formed with a depend-ing -peripheral flange E adjacent which is an annular :channel 'I for/receiving the loweredgeof a circular wall Nl. :Desirably this wall `is ftapered -inwardly toward the top from which isfextended .a flange `:Il extending inwardly and downwardly roi' 4awshor-t (distance Yto terminate in a large 'circular vopening 'through which Vmay be yinserted v.the circula-rwall i4 :of a sleeve holder The flange lH is in supporting engagement with `the sleeve holderat afpoint relatively close to its top, .and defines 4therewith .an annular channel sloping inwardly with-oneor more slotted openings l2 therethrough fto permit the :passage vof liquid into the reservoir provided by the container chamber ,therebelow :A container, `widened toward the base, -in vconjunction tv-ith a cylindrical sleeve therewithin, is advantageous in that its stability arrdxreservoir capacity is 'thereby increased, the annular channel at :its top beingna-rrowed to the point of facilitating movement of objects there- -over into Contact with an exposed vmoistening -body 'as will presently fee-explained.

`'Ihefsleeve holder maybe formed with apair of --opposite1y disposed lugs l5 -of .a size to pass through'tworofwthedrain,openings l2. When the sleeve .is in operative ,position within the -container its 4lower end is rested on the bottom 5 where it .is centered between a plurality 'of upstanding .arcuate vlugs I6 which permit communication between the sleeve interior 'and the .reservoir through a plurality 0f Openings Il at the lowerfendo'f thefholder V(see Fig. 4) iIn kthe manufacture of the container the circular vwal-l "t0 'during or after assembly and connectionwith the base, is Vmade :liquid tight at the joint finan-y approved manner. When the sleeve holder is tted i-n place and :slightly lrotated. :its lugs t5 lwill underlie the channel flange l-I to .normally preventseparation of these two parts. A moisture absorbent body M-of-cylindrieal form, such as a sponge (natural or articial) is iitted within the sleeve holder for support and connement thereby, its lower end extending close to and preferably in engagement with the container bottom. The upper end of the absorbent body is protruded slightly beyond the upper end of the holder and container so as to be exposed to objects which may be brought into contact therewith. Liquid within the reservoir is free to enter into the interior of the sleeve holder for absorption into the moistener body which is thereby maintained in the requisite wet condition for use. In response to any substantal pressure directed against the top of the moistener body, a compression thereof will take place, thereby expressing some of the liquid into the annular channel provided by the iiange l I. None of the liquid thus expressed will overow upon the exterior face of the container, but all of it will drain through one or more of the openings l2 back into the reservoir where it again becomes available for maintaining the moistener body in a wet condition. In this way water damage to the table or desk on which the device is used Ycannot take place.

In use, liquid for refilling purposes may either be poured into the annular channel at the top for passage into the reservoir within the container, or the entire sleeve holder wit-h the absorbent body retained therein may be turned and lifted out of the container thereby exposing the interior thereof. In this way it is possible to conveniently flush out, clean, and reiill the container whenever such an operation is necessary or desirable.

I claim:

l. A moistening device comprising a yieldable absorbent body, a sleeve holder surrounding and supporting the absorbent body all except its bottom and upper end portion, a container surrounding the sleeve holder in spaced relation thereto to provide an annular chamber defining a reservoir for reception of liquid therein, a bottom for the container against which the Sleeve?r extending inwardly and downwardly to a pointadjacent the top of the sleeve holder and defining therewith an annular channel, there being an opening through the channel wall to permit ow of liquid therethrough into the reservoir therebelow, and means for releasably securing the* sleeve holder within the container.

2. A moistening device comprising an open ended sleeve holder, a yieldable absorbent body supported within the sleeve holder and extended therewithin to a point adjacent its bottom end,`

a container for receiving the sleeve holder in engagement with its bottom and in spaced relation to its surrounding walls, there being an open- 3. A moistening device comprising an open ended sleeve holder, a yieldable absorbent body supported within the sleeve holder and extended therewithin to a point adjacent its bottom end, a container for receiving the sleeve holder in engagement with its bottom and in spaced relation to its surrounding walls, there being an opening through the sleeve holder adjacent itsbottom for the passage of liquid therethrough, a ange extending inwardly and downwardly from the container wall adjacent its top into supporting engagement with the sleeve holder and provided therethrough with a slotted drain opening communicating with a reservoir chamber between vthe container and holder and means on the container bottom engaging the holder to prevent lating through the sleeve holder adjacent its botp tom for the passage of liquid therethrough, a

flange extending inwardly and downwardly from the container wall adjacent its top into supporting engagement with the sleeve holder and provided therethrough with a slotted drain opening communicating with a reservoir chamber between the container and holder, and means extended laterally from the sleeve holder movable through the slotted opening to a position below the flange adapted, upon rotation of the sleeve holder, to prevent separation of the sleeve holder from the container.

eral movement thereof.

4. A moistening device comprising a tubular holder, a yieldable absorbent body supported within the sleeve holder and extended therewithin to a point adjacent its bottom end, a bottomed container provided near its top with an inwardly and downwardly extending iiange dening an annular channel having a large central opening through which the tubular holder may be inserted and by which it is laterally supported in spaced relation to the container walls when rested on its bottom, means on the container bottom in engagement with the holder for centering the same relative thereto, interengageable means on the container and, holder for securing one to the other against separation, there being openings through the flange into the space exteriorly of the holder and there being other openings through the holder ln its lower end region whereby to provide passages for liquid within the container to enter into the holder for transfer into the absorbent body and thence, when expressed from its upper end, for drainage into the flange channel for discharge into the container interior.

5. A moistening device comprising a tubular holder, a yieldable absorbent body supported within the sleeve holder and extended therewithin to a point adjacent its bottom end, a bottomed container provided near its top with an inwardly and downwardly extending iiange defining an annular channel having a large central opening through which the tubular holder may be in serted and by which it is laterally supported in spaced relation to the container walls when rested on its bottom, there being openings through the flange into the space exteriorly of the holder and there being other openings through the holder in its lower end region whereby to provide passages for liquid within the container to enter into the holder for transfer into the absorbent body and thence, when expressed from its upper end, for drainage into the iiange channel for discharge into the container interior.

WALTER L. SNELLING. 

